Automatic drill and wire gauge



E. CURRAN. AUTOMATIC DRH-.L AND WIRE GAUGE. APPLICATION FILED APII.1920.

Patented i922.,

realer nnifrnnn sonnen, or Eosfroii, ifrrlssaorrnsn'rrs..

AUTOMATC DRLL AND WIRE GAUGE.

Application filed April 8,

To all who/m t may coacemf Be" it known that l, lDnMUND CURRAN, acitizenoi the United States, and resident' oi Boston, in the county otSuffolk and State of lllassachusetts, have invented an lmprovement inAutomatic yDrill and lllire Gauges, o'le which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspeciiication, likeletters on 'the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is an improved, novel and automatic gangster use inmeasuringl the diameter ol' drills, wires, or other devices. Importantobjects oi' the invention are to provide an efficient, accurate andquick-acting measuring device and indicating devices, showing themeasurements Secured, vand to have these instrumentalities actautomatically, Further objects of the invention are to provide a strong,simple, compact construction capable of ready and instant use, with alarge range oil' capacity Yfor measurements, with a plurality ot gaugemeasurements where desiredA with yielding means which will quickly andfirmly secure the contact of the measuring devices onto the work, andhold the same with the indicator registering the correspondingmeasurements, as long" as desired, together with means to readilyoperate the apparatus, to automatically reset 'the same at zero, and toprovide means for adjustment of the indicator and gauge relatively withthe work contacting member, tor facility in assembling, to compensatetor wear 'and the like.

Other advantages, important features and novel combinations ot partswill be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Fig. l is a plan view of the indicator;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. is a cross-sectional view on the line of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line /l-Ll'of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a base formed cup-shaped, adaptedtov receive certain of the operating devices and closed by a cover 2.The'walls ofthe base 1- are grooved at diametrically opposite points '3and l, toA receive a slide 5, preferably formed as a channel member withits outside walls engaging the grooves 3 and 4 and the inner ieee.serial no. 372,311.

or channel like portion sliding upon a rod 6, which latter is rigidlysecured to the top or cover Q'by bolts '7, This slide 5 extendsoutwardly beyond the lowermost limit of the central rod 6, the latterconstituting one of the work engaging devices, said slide 5 terminatingin an upwardly extending lug or portion l() carried on the lowermostpart and bored to receive a short rod l2 adapted to be adjustablysecured therein by a thumbscrew l2() and constituting the opposed worken ging device being adapted to cooperate wi h and in alinement with thelined rod '6, the work engaging' `tace lil 01"' said fixed rod 6 and thework engaging face l5 oi the rod l2 on the slide 5, being the devices tomeasure the diameter of a drill, wire or the like 20, as shown in Figs.l. andQ. The slide 5 being movable relatively with the lixed rod 6lallows for a substantial opening between the faces lll and l5, and thework contacting rods 6 and l2 heilig positioned centrally with regard tothe slide 5, still further insure accurate measurement. As a positiveguiding means, also, l prefer to form on the slide 5 as indicated at 16,a collar or band enveloping the end portion of the fixed rod G, thusstill Jfurther insuring` accurate aline-- nient oiu the slide and theregistering ot the two work contacting Jfaces 14 and l5. I also preferto torni a groove in the cover 2, shown in dotted lines at 2l, Fig. 2,and more clearly illustrated in Fig. in which the upper part oii thesides or the slide 5 lit, and slide therein, this constituting al`guideway for the slide, in addition to Ithe recessesA 3 andl il, andthe collar 16. Perfect alinement is thus secured. The operation of theseportions of the apparatus will be readily understood.. Depressing theslide 5 separates the work 'contacting facesA 14 and 15, andthe wire,drill or other article, 20, to be measured, is fitted therein, and theslide moved backwardly to contact therewith, thus measuring the desireddiameter. suitable indicator is attached and operated by this movement,as will be explained.'

rlhe measuring` device just described, may he actuated byfhand, but Iprefer to have this operation automatic, and for this purpose I providea` spring B0 with one end attached at 3l to the base l or to a. pinsecured thereon and with the other end et said spring secured to a pin32 fitted to the lower part of the slide 5, this spring normally actingto io 20. f

l prefer to have the slide 5 firmly and yety working faces, and fittingthe article 20 to be measured therein, the slide will automatically bereturned and contact with the article yieldingly held into contact withthe grooved part of the top 2 and for this purpose provide springs 33and 34 guided around posts 35 and .36 respectively, which` posts aresecured tothe base 1, and extend toward the lower part of the slide 5,said springs thus exerting a yielding tension to hold the slide 5against the groove 21 in the plate 2 at all timesfurtherniore preventingrattling and insuring accurate reciprocation and measurement.

Toindicate the measurement secured by the relative movement of the iixedrod 6 and slide 5, Iprovide a plate `or cover 40, mounted, preferably,with capacity for adjustment on the topmost face of the cover 2, and fitan indicator hand 50 for relative rotation around the plate 40, saidplate having thereon a plurality of graduations or gauge indications asillustrated in F ig. 1. To ac` tuate this indicator in cooperation withthe movement of the slide 5, and with the registrations of diameterofthe work20 between theifaces 14 and 15, T secure to the slide 5, arack bar 51 having teeth 52 adapted to mesh with a pinion 53 mounted ona spindle 54, having its-ends bearing between the top plate 2 and thebase 1, see Fig. 3. On the spindle 54 also is a gear wheel 55 which inturn meshes with a pinion 56 kon a central spindle 57, having itslowermost end re` duced and in a bearing in a central boss 58 formed inthe base 1.V This spindle 57 extends upwardly and through a flangedbushingO, in the plate 2, to which the hub G1 of ythe indicatorhand 50is attached by a screw 62. This construction rotates the shaft 55through the gears andpinions just described `and in turn actuates theindicator hand 50 vduriiigtlie reciprocation ofthe slide 5. l

prefer also to supply a spring here shown as a-coil spring fittedbetween plates l71 and 72, and secured to the spindle 57 with its outer.end rigidly secured, whereby the indicator lshaft- 55 and-indicatorhand 50 will rbe independently returned to zero after the release of thework 20 between the engaging 'a quick return and accurate resetting ofthe indicator 50 to zero.`

. In order to' provide adjustment of the dial plate-40, with the-top 2,and to facilitate as` sembling, adjustment for wear, etc., l attach theplate 4() by screws 41, 41, to a friction ring 42, the screws 41extending through elongated slots 43, 43 in the top '2. This ring 42 ispreferablyiitted in a corresponding groove 44 in the underside of thetop 2 and `is sufiiciently friction tight to hold the plate 40 whereveradjusted. Thus in assembling thedialplate 40 and the apparatus, and withthe rod 12 in its fixed position, the

plate can be readily moved radially until the indicator 50 registers atzero. Or, the adjustinent to zero may be secured through the movement ofthe rod 12 in the lower partof the slide 5. The entire operation of thegauge and its automatic features will now be readily understood. "W iththe dial assembled and marked'with the desired graduations and adjustedwith the arm 50 normally at zero, the operator depresses the slide 5,

puts the drill, wire or yother article to be measured, indicated at 20,between the contacting faces 14 and 15 and releases the instrument. Thisis all that the operator is re,-

`quired to do. The slide 5 instantly is retracted' until the contacting.faces strike the work and ,the indicatin hand 50is correspondinglyactuated around the dial gauge.

A further important feature and advantage of the present apparatusconsistsinthel possibility of combiningboth a table and the gaugeindications in the single dial. Heretofore it has been customary tomeasure the size of drills, wire, etc., by means of one device, and thencompare these measurements with a separately printedtable, to determinethe corresponding size of taps when it is desirable to. use the saine.ln my present apparatus l conveniently combine bothi these measure-mentsand afford an instan- 5:2;

taneous comparison therefor. Thus,y ,for` example a 2O gauge drill, asshown on lthe;

drawings, will be suitable to be used in drilll ing va hole fora 42-tap," a 33 auge for a 3% tap, etc., as indicatedaroun surface and shownin Fig. 1. l; believe that this feature is novel and important and ltherefore wish to claim the same. l l` amy also ,the dial iio vadvisedthat it is broadly new to provide an automatic drill vmeasuring and.-indicating i apparatus which will effect the measurement on thefdrill orwire, indicate the gauge thereof, and hold said indicator in position aslong as desired for the operatorto note the measurenients made. Theautomatic resetting of the dial upon; reino-val of -thetwire or drill,is also believed to be new and l wish to claim tliisvfeature broadly.

'My invention is furtherdescribed and. claimed in the' form of claims asfollows :k

1. Apparatus of the kind described, coinprising a base; a removablecover for said base, a dialcn said cover there being a slide,- waydiametricallyv across the lower surface of the cover, a fixed measuringmember secured to said cover, a slidable member in the slidewayenclosing the fixed measuring member and carrying a coopera-tingadjustable member adapted to cooperate with said fixed member to receivearticles between their contacting faces, a rotatable shaft, an indicatorcarried by the shaft, and means connecting the slidable member with saidshaft, whereby the indicater is rotated a distance proportionate to themeasurement ot' work between the fixed and movable work engagingmembers, said indicator being movable over the dial, means securing thedial to the top side of' the cover, and means permitting a. rotativesetting of the dial relatively with the indicator, to adjust the same tozero and compensate for wear.

2. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a base, a removable coverfor said base, a dial mounted on said base there being a. slidewaydiametrically across the lower surface of the cover, a fixed measuringmemmember secured to said cover, a. slide-ble member movable in theslideway and car rying a cooperating adjustable member adapted tocooperate with said fixed member and receive articles between theircontacting faces, a rotatable shaft, an indicator hand carried by theshaft movable over said dial, means connecting the slidable member withsaid shaft, whereby the indicator hand is rotated a dista-nceproportionate to the measurement of work between the fixed and movablework engaging members, a spring to actuate the slide whereby it isnormally in contact with4 the fixed member, means to permit manualmovement of the slide against the. tension of the spring, to separatethe fixed and movable work engaging faces, to receive work, and yieldingmeans in the base bearing against the movable member to hold it firmlyin engagement with the guideway in the cover.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

EDMUND CURRAN.

